Faculty and staff campaign garners over $20,000 in one day

by Shelby Toth

Tue, Apr 16th 2019 10:55 pm

Scholarships and funds donated to colleges play a part in almost every aspect of a student’s time at said institution. One fund The College at Brockport has set in place is the Faculty and Staff Campaign, which encourages those members of the Brockport community to give to the students surrounding them.

While the campaign runs all year, the fund saw a leap in its donations on April Fool’s Day. According to the Daily Eagle, on April 1, 2019, 132 total gifts were donated to the fund, totaling $26,797. This was thanks to the help of Vice President for Advancement Michael Andriatch as well as President Heidi Macpherson and her husband.

Engagement Officer for Annual Giving Nicole Dumbleton explained that she works closely with Andriatch, and they had decided to do something special to push the Faculty and Staff Campaign. According to Dumbleton, Andriatch had approached her and asked her for ideas to raise money. She gave him the idea to donate $5 for every new participating doner. Dumbleton thought it would be a good way for Andriatch to show how committed he was to the campaign.

Not long after word got out about Andriatch’s plan, Macpherson was inspired to do the same.

“When Mr. Andriatch announced his ‘Make Mike Pay’ idea, it seemed a great and innovative way to encourage donations,” Macpherson wrote. “We thought, if we could contribute to raising awareness, and perhaps encourage new donors to come forward, people who had planned to give but hadn’t yet done so, it might be the incentive they need, to know that their dollars would go further.”

Macpherson explained that she “would not have been able to afford college” if it weren’t for different funds and scholarships, so she always donates to different campaigns in order to help students.

Andriatch himself was a Brockport alumnus, graduating 34 years ago and working at the college ever since. His love of the college is part of what inspired him to give back to the school.

“It is an honor to give back to the students, faculty, staff and programs of my Alma Mater,” Andriatch wrote. “All of the gifts help us meet the goals of our strategic plan, Building a Better Brockport.”

Dumbleton explained that in the past, the college hosted different days of giving aimed toward the entire Brockport community including faculty, staff, alumni and students, but there has never been such a large push for the Faculty and Staff Campaign. This April Fool’s Day effort was also the first time the campus leadership has done price matching, “leading by example” as Dumbleton said.

“That’s what it is a lot about in terms of this work, having people really just evolve some credibility and trust,” Dumbleton said. “If people are willing to support the campaign themselves, that inspires others to do the same.”

The Faculty and Staff Campaign is run every academic year. According to Dumbleton, the money raised goes through the larger Brockport Foundation. Donors also have the opportunity to designate where their money goes. There are over 700 accounts set up that contributors can choose from, including a plethora of private scholarships, each athletic team and each academic department, among other areas.

“There’s a lot of flexibility in [the campaign], and that’s always the kind of message I try to put out there, especially for faculty and staff who are involved with all different things across campus,” Dumbleton said. “They can always give back to something that is really special to them.”

The goal of this year’s campaign, according to Daily Eagle, is to increase the participation rate to 50 percent by June 30. With the combined effort of Andriatch, the Macphersons and everyone who donated to the campaign on April 1, the participation rate now sits at 45 percent, just shy of the goal.

“When we seek funds from alumni and other friends and organizations, one of the questions that always comes up is ‘How many of the employees give?’” Andriatch said. “When we can show that 50 percent of the faculty and staff give, it sends a great message.”

Those looking to donate to any Brockport Foundation fund can find out more information on alumni.brockport.edu.